Last Night's Party at Jack Lenor Larson's Longhouse Reserve

I'd never been before. It was nice to start out at Round House, Larson's starter home next door, which a neighbor kindly opened up. A troop of drummers came to lead us away to the party proper.

As we came out of the woodland and into the sun, we were given green paper parasols

Richard, who was one of our party, had read the invitation to, "wrap yourself in silks, batik and ikat," seriously. I looked askance at him at first, but he was the absolute hit of the evening, a visual that had everybody talking to, and about him.

Bill Cunningham of the New York Times ran away in horror.

The house is fabulous, but the 16 acres of gardens are unbelievably beautiful.

The evening's ethic was good too---both in the entertainment, which was provided by scores of hyphen-Americans trained in Cambodian classical dance and Korean drumming, and in the evening's honoree, Carol Cassidy, an American weaver and textile entrepreneur, who has lived for nearly 30 years in Laos, and has done much to keep traditional craft and a sustainable economy alive there.


We were given gifts when we arrived of loomed silk Buddhist temple scarves, tightly wrapped in beautiful handmade Mulberry-paper covers, a wrap which at first I mistook for the gift itself. The scarf was the perfect addition to wear in my spectral mood.

Patrick McMullan has a picture of me up.

It was all a perfect balance between the low-keyed and the luxe.

A paper chrysanthemum temporary party decoration.

A permanent garden feature--Buckminster Fuller's "Fly's Eye Dome"


Yoko Ono's grand chessboard, "Play It by Trust," 1999.

It was all fun and games.

But I was very tired, and it left me feeling very sad.